Twig & Hottie

Ethical shopping is a growing trend, and one that stylish Vancouverites can now extend to clothing and accessories. Twigg & Hottie is a clothing boutique that is also the home of WE3 Designers, a Vancouver-based trio of designers with a commitment to clothing with a difference. Jess Vaira, one of the three co-owners, explains, “It’s made all from sustainable fibres, made here in Vancouver, and our focus is classic silhouettes with really high quality production, really high quality fabrics, and interesting details.”

The store carries items from about 60 other vendors who have a similar commitment to high-quality, consciously-made clothing, footwear and jewelry. “Everything in the store is either local, Canadian or sustainable. It’s not admissible to the store unless it takes one step out of the regular production process. Not everything is locally made and sustainable, or Canadian, but they all are one of those things,” Jess explains. Each item for sale has a checklist tag that specifies which qualifications it meets. The selection is mainly for women, with some t-shirts, underwear and socks for men.

Jess shows off handbags made from thin sheets of flexible, waterproof cork, an alternative to leather and vinyl with an attractive look and feel. There are also dresses and tops made from bamboo, hemp, a silky, rayon-like material called tencel, or recycled material. There are sustainable brands like Bogs, a high-quality rain boot made in the Pacific Northwest, designed for improved comfort and durability. “If you’re going to be buying something of that nature, better to buy something that has so much more longevity,” says Jess. Others items include socks from the Little River Sock Mill in Alabama, and yoga jeans made from stretch denim in Montreal.